Tragedy at Long Island Wal-Mart

I learned about this from a comment on the Capitol Confidential blog, of all places. The Black Friday crowd at a Wal-Mart in Nassau County literally broke down the doors at 5 A.M. and knocked over the person guarding those doors. Hundreds of people then trampled the employee as they ran into the store.

Though rumors circulated among the shoppers that someone had been badly injured, people ignored the Wal-Mart workers’ requests that they stop shopping, move to the front of the store and exit, Cribbs said.

People did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground, and they pushed against other Wal-Mart workers who were trying to aid Mr. Damour. The crowd kept running into the store even after the police arrived, jostling and pushing officers who were trying to perform CPR, the police said.

“They were like a stampede,” said Nassau Det. Lt. Michael Fleming. “Hundreds of people walked past him, over him or around him.”